Hospital suspends ambulance contract after 'vetting failures'

A hospital has suspended its contract with a private ambulance company after
an investigation claimed that the firm did not carry out criminal records
checks on some staff working with children.

By Kate Devlin Medical Correspondent

8:32PM GMT 02 Dec 2008

Birmingham Women's Hospital said that it would not use the firm to transport patients while it looked into the allegations.

The city's Children's Hospital is also investigating the claims but said it would continue to use the company, called Health and Community Ambulance and Patient Transport, until it had finished its inquiry.

A BBC investigation claimed that the company did not perform a criminal records check on an undercover researcher who began working for them, including inside the Children's Hospital.

Using a hidden camera the researcher also recorded another ambulance man claiming that he had served 18 months in prison for threatening to kill someone.

The man was later seen apparently using his mobile while driving, shouting abuse at other motorists and driving with no hands on the wheel.

Staff were also recorded complaining that they sometimes worked up to 21 hours a day and had received little training.

Private ambulances can be hired by hospitals to transfer patients and organs, but they cannot work on emergency cases.

In a statement, Health and Community Ambulance and Patient Transport said: "As soon as we became aware of the allegations against those members of staff we have taken immediate steps to review our procedures and the use of that particular business."

Ben Bradshaw, the minister for health services, said: "The failings outlined in this report are a clear breach of guidelines.

"DH guidance, which we renewed in September last year, makes clear that the local NHS should ensure that arrangements for the provision of patient transport, whether these are provided in-house or by an outside contractor should have effective safeguards in place to ensure that these services provide the highest level of clinical standards and best value for money for local people."